Comedienne's Second TV Show Canceled This Year
'Red Widow' Gets The Axe
Apple will no longer sell NBC shows on iTunes
What happens when a major content producer like NBC tells a major digital content distributor like iTunes that it wants more money per episode? If you guessed contract negotiations devolve into a hissyfit, you're right.NBC says it will not renew its contract to sell television shows through iTunes when that contract expires in December. And Apple says that's fine by them, even though NBC is the top supplier of video content for iTunes, with popular shows like The Office, Heroes, and Battlestar Galactica.
NBC wanted to charge more for downloads and also wanted improved anti-piracy measures. Apple has responded by saying NBC essentially wanted to more than double the wholesale price of certain episodes, which would result in videos being sold for $4.99 per episode instead of $1.99. And since NBC would wind up pulling its shows in mid-season if they cancel their agreement in December, Apple has decided not to offer NBC shows at all this fall.
Of course, if it was that black and white, we imagine that Apple would have let NBC go ahead and have its way. After all, customers probably won't buy episodes if they're priced that high, and NBC would be forced to lower their prices. There are still a few months before the contract expires, which leaves plenty of time for the two companies to resolve their differences.
19 Comments